Dominant Animals brings Super friends to Open Hispanic Heritage Month Shows
See Dominant Animals Oct 2-4 at Teatro LATEA in NYC
Dominant Animals Produced by VOE Coqui Productions
The Puerto Rican family drama returns for 3 days during Hispanic Heritage Month
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2026
DOMINANT ANIMALS ADDS COMEDY AND MUSIC TO ITS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH RETURN AT TEATRO LATEA
Three-day engagement features comedians Rafael Gee, Sofia Negrón and Sara Q Contreras, with opening-night DJ G-BO the Pro.
NEW YORK, NY — After moving audiences during its June festival presentation, Dominant Animals returns to Teatro LATEA for a limited three-performance Hispanic Heritage Month engagement from October 2–4, 2026.
Each performance will begin with a special guest comedian, bringing laughter, culture and personal storytelling to the stage before audiences experience the emotionally powerful Puerto Rican family drama.
The guest lineup features:
Friday, October 2: DJ G-BO the Pro from 6:45–7:15 p.m., followed by comedian Rafael Gee at 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, October 3: Comedian Sofia Negrón at 7:15 p.m.
Sunday, October 4: Comedian Sara Q Contreras at 2:45 p.m.
Dominant Animals begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. on October 2 and 3 and at 3:00 p.m. on October 4.
Written by acclaimed playwright Cris Eli Blak, directed by award-winning Puerto Rican director Adrienne Acevedo Lovette, and presented by VOE Coqui Productions and Executive Producer Eddie Martinez, the play brings audiences into the home of a Puerto Rican family in Queens confronting years of unresolved pain.
The combination of comedy, music and drama creates a three-day cultural experience rooted in Latino identity, family, resilience and the power of live performance.
Rafael Gee Celebrates a Lower East Side Homecoming
Opening night features a special stand-up performance by Rafael Gee, the New York City comedian, author and producer whose appearance marks a return to the Lower East Side, where he was born.
“There’s something special about coming back to where your story began,” Rafael shared in an Instagram announcement. “For me, this is bigger than another performance. It’s coming home.”
Born on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and raised in East New York, Brooklyn, Rafael brings more than 25 years of stand-up experience to the stage. His comedy combines storytelling, characters, impressions and experiences drawn from his Puerto Rican and Nuyorican upbringing, family, relationships and life in New York City.
His career highlights include headlining the Meadowlands Comedy Festival, earning Best of Fest recognition at the Comedy Chateau International Comedy Festival and being selected for the 2026 Oak City Comedy Festival. He is also the headliner and producer of The Sauce & Sazón Comedy Show in Coney Island.
Rafael is the author of Mi Vida Loca: Tales of a NuyoRican. His upcoming stand-up special, Ricanstruction, filmed at Comedy in Harlem and presented by Raw and Ready Productions LLC, is scheduled for release November 28, 2026.
Opening night begins with G-BO the Pro, who will serve as DJ from 6:45–7:15 p.m., welcoming attendees with music and energizing the audience before introducing Rafael. G-BO the Pro and Rafael Gee appear on October 2 only.
The celebration continues October 3 with Sofia Negrón, known on Instagram as @sofsdope, and October 4 with Sara Q Contreras, known as @latindivacomedy.
Together, the three comedians will open the performances with laughter and unforgettable energy while showcasing different voices within Latino comedy.
A Return Inspired by Audience Response
Audience members attending the June production described Dominant Animals as “breathtakingly powerful,” “profoundly impactful” and “an absolutely breathtaking masterpiece.”
Others praised the production’s ability to make audiences laugh, cry and reflect on their own families. One audience member declared, “Not a dry eye in sight,” while another said the play helped them better understand the struggles faced by their parents and ancestors.
At the center of the production is the Burgos family, whose members carry different experiences of anger, trauma, incarceration, masculinity and survival.
The ensemble features:
Eddie Martinez as Felix Burgos
Nancy Gómez as Alix Burgos
Robert Mercado as Angel Burgos
Prentice Myles as Carlo Schaffer
Lorena Jorge as Paloma Lopez
Chris Turrell as Locke Curtis
Felix represents a generation of men taught to equate strength with control, toughness and emotional silence. Angel’s return from incarceration forces the family to confront wounds that can no longer remain hidden, while Alix brings a different understanding of family responsibility and healing.
Together, the characters reveal how trauma can take different forms within the same family—and how each person’s choices affect everyone around them.
“Dominant Animals tells a culturally specific story, but the questions it asks are universal,” said Executive Producer Eddie Martinez, who portrays Felix. “How do families begin healing from pain that has been passed down for generations? How do men learn to put down the emotional walls they were taught to build?”
While Dominant Animals centers on a Puerto Rican family, its examination of machismo, generational trauma, incarceration, accountability, forgiveness and healing extends across cultures and generations.
Tickets and Performance Information
General-admission tickets are $30, with a discount now until 9/28 of $27. Group tickets are available for $25 per person for groups of 10 or more by contacting Teatro LATEA directly. Advance purchase is encouraged because only three performances will be presented.
Friday, October 2: Doors 6:30 p.m.; G-BO the Pro 6:45 p.m.; Rafael Gee 7:15 p.m.; show 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 3: Doors 6:30 p.m.; Sofia Negrón 7:15 p.m.; show 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 4: Doors 2:00 p.m.; Sara Q Contreras 2:45 p.m.; show 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Teatro LATEA, 107 Suffolk Street, Second Floor, New York, NY 10002
Tickets: www.teatrolatea.org/events
About Dominant Animals
Written by Cris Eli Blak, Dominant Animals is a compelling family drama about a Puerto Rican household confronting machismo, generational trauma, incarceration, anger, forgiveness and the possibility of transformation.
The October engagement is presented by Eddie Martinez’ VOE Coqui Productions, and directed by Adrienne Acevedo Lovette.
Photos, production artwork, interviews and press seats are available upon request.
MEDIA CONTACT
Eddie Martinez
Executive Producer, Dominant Animals
VOE Coqui Productions
Email: voiceofeddiemartinez@gmail.com
Alternate Email: dominantanimalstheplay@gmail.com
Phone: 516-313-3324
Website: www.voiceofeddie.com
Instagram: @dominantanimalstheplay
###
Edgardo Martinez
VOE COQUI PRODUCTIONS LLC
+1 516-313-3324
email us here
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
